Buddhism

In Buddhism the mind is seen as the root of all suffering and happiness; it is our intention and the actions that follow (Sanskrit: karma) that drive our future experience. At its core, Buddhism is concerned with freeing ourselves and others from suffering by discovering the true nature of mind.

Travelling the Path

While the Buddha revealed to us the path through his teachings (Sanskrit: dharma) it is up to us to travel the path and achieve the same state of realization that the Buddha attained.

There is a story told about a poor man who lived a life of the utmost misery. All his life was spent in a pursuit of wealth. He journeyed everywhere in his search, until finally he expired alone in the small hut where he had been born. However, all the time unbeknownst to him an unimaginable pile of treasure had lain concealed beneath the floor.

Buddha has told us that each of us is that person. We look in every place for happiness. Some of us search for it in physical pleasure, some in power and some in religion. Yet it has always been within reach, for it is mind itself ‘the king of all creators’ which is the source of true joy, wisdom and compassion. It is this discovery that constitutes ‘enlightenment’, ‘nirvana’ or ‘buddhahood’.

Nowadays everything seems broken; many spiritual traditions appear to have lost their effectiveness. Yet Buddha’s teaching, especially as preserved in the Tibetan tradition of Buddhism, can speak to all of us directly whether we are young or old, rich or poor, male or female.